The Funeral Of Rachel Berry
by HappyLaura
Summary: Rachels funeral. Faberry. Angst. Onshot.


**Disclaimer; I don't own Glee. Or Rachel (the first). Or Quinn. I'm just having a bit of fun... if angst can be fun? All mistakes are my own.**

**Oh and Beth never existed in this. Enjoy!**

x

The Funeral Of Rachel Berry

It was a sunny day in Lima, Ohio. Most people would say rain and clouds would have been more fitting for a funeral. Everyone who had ever met Rachel Berry knew that sunshine was about as perfect as it could get.

There were hundreds of people sitting in the hall. Maybe more. Only 3 of them deserved to be there. They had 'front row' seats though, if that's any consultation.

William Schuester stepped up onto the tiny podium. It wouldn't have been right, to take a stage, without Rachel. Not now.

A few murmurs could be heard throughout distant relatives. How odd that she didn't have a priest. Where was her Rabbi. Who was this strange man.

If they had taken the time to come visit her they would have known that Rachel didn't want a religious service, she had wanted everyone to be comfortable.

x

"_Daddy." He looked down at his little princess, and felt the tears rise behind his eyes almost immediately. Leroy Berry could not believe his little girl was melting away right in front of his eyes. He was meant to be dead by the time she had to say goodbye to the world. It just wasn't right._

"_Yeah Rae?" He couldn't cry now though. Not in front of her. Not here. He would wait until he was curled up in bed with his husband. Rachel was in enough pain already._

"_I don't want a Christian service."_

"_Oh well we can go down the Jewish road if you lik-"_

"_I don't want a Jewish service. Or a Jewstian service." He couldn't hold back his smile at that. He remembers the day she first coined that word, 'Jewstian,' she had refused to 'pick a side' and decided right then and there when she was seven years old, that she would be in fact be both. She had stamped her foot and crossed her arms. There was no point in arguing after that._

"_What do you want then honey?"_

"_I want you, or dad, or Mr. Schuester to run the service for me." He knew he wouldn't be able to stop crying when the day came, let alone talk so he was off the table. Hiram would say the same and he knew without a doubt that Will would take the role seriously. Decision made._

"_Ok baby" She smiled gently and settled back down into her pillow, "Can I ask why?"_

"_Daddy really!" God he loved it when she got some of her attitude back. "You of all people should know the problems and conflicts that arise when it comes to religion. Especially in our family. And I for one am just not prepared to take that risk. My funeral will run smoothly and no arguments about religion will be taking my spotlight." Tears ran down his face at this, though this time he was smiling. No matter how ill she got, Rachel would always be his perfect little angel._

x

… I think it is fair to say that Rachel Berry was-" He chokes back a sob, "...witho-out a doubt the most talented girl I ever met, and probably ever will." There wasn't a dry eye in sight by the time Mr. Schuester had finished his speech. Except Santana. But OK she _wanted_ to cry, but she couldn't. Not _now. _And yeah, she would be crying in Brittany's arms later. Just _not_ now.

As Mr. Schuester pulled himself together Quinn was doing the same. It was her time now. Time to make Rachel proud.

"... and now it is time for the closest person to Rachel to say a few words." Will looked down at his program and frowned when it didn't actually tell him who was going to be speaking. Just 'Rachels other half,' he guessed it would be one of her Dads so it was safe to say he was pretty surprised when a red-eyed Quinn Fabray stepped up onto the podium and gently took the microphone from his hands.

Quinn looked down at the microphone she was holding and choked out a sob. It was _Rachels_, it was her rhinestone encrusted microphone that she had had since she was 12. The very same one she had used on numerous occasions to sing just for Quinn.

She quickly pulled herself together. If this was any other time she wouldn't have succeed, but this was for Rachel. And yeah, she would do _anything_ for the girl. Even if she was... even if she wasn't-. She was _gone_.

Mr. Schuester stepped down and took her seat on the front row. Everyone had looked at her with questions in their eyes when she sat next to Rachels Dads, but now? Well now everyone looked either shocked, confused or horrified.

Quinn sighed and put her speech to one side. Everyone needed an explanation and she was ready. _Now_ she was ready and yeah, she regretted not being able to do it sooner for Rachel. With Rachel. But now she was ready. Now. Because its not like she has anything left to lose anyway.

A little glimpse of gold catches in the corner of her eye and she looks down at her ring finger with a watery smile. It's a gold star tattoo. They had got one done together. Four months ago. God it felt like a lifetime ago.

x

"_Quinn this is the worst idea I've ever had." Quinn laughed at this. Of course Rachel would say she made a wrong decision **now**. "Seriously, this is ridiculous. It's not like I'm going to have it for very long anyway." Quinns laughter halted immediately. "Oh Quinn. I'm sorry you know I didn't-"_

"_It's OK Rach. Just- lets just do it yeah?" Rachel looked incredibly guilty, and the broken tone of her girlfriends voice was just heartbreaking. She needed to fix that right away._

"_Tell me again why you want us to get these specific ones." She smile sweetly at her girlfriend and watches as the sadness melts away from hazel eyes just like she wanted._

"_Well, I want a Gold Star on my ring finger, because your 'the one' Rach. The one I would marry and spend my life with. The one. You are the Gold Star of my life and I want to remember that for the rest of my existence." Rachel was blushing now, 'cause gosh Quinn and her words. After all this time the blonde could still charm her heart to skip a beat. "And well... I want you to have the 'Q' on yours because, well, because I can't ask you now. But I hope that you might have said yes when I had asked in the future. And I guess I just want everyone to know that you're mine."_

_Rachels eyes shone with complete joy. Even in times of pain and fear Quinn could make everything OK._

"_Well, why can't you now?"_

"_Why can't I what Rach?" The beautiful brunette giggled cheekily._

"_Why can't you ask me to marry you now?" Quinns eyebrows shot up into her hairline. She swallowed loudly. Oh. Well. Right._

_Quinn quickly got down on one knee right in front of Rachels chair and grabbed hold of her hand. Rachel was grinning from ear to ear now. Because even before she was ill Quinn would do anything she asked of her just as quickly. Quinn was the only person who didn't treat her any differently now and she loved her even more for it, well yeah, the blonde cried a lot more now. But it was always in her arms, just like always._

"_Rachel Berry. You are the most amazing girl I have ever met. The most amazing girl I ever will meet. I thank the angels every day for the night you cornered me at Pucks party and stuck your glorious tongue down my throat." Rachel huffed loudly at this._

"_Quinn Fabray you know I was drunk and-" Quinn spoke over her._

"_**AND **I love that to this day you still blame it on the alcohol, because you hadn't touched a drop. But neither had I. And I thank them that I kissed you back. Rachel Barbara Berry, will you make me the happiest girl in the world and promise to spend the rest of your life with me. Will you be my fiancé?" Then she weakly added, "please?" and looked up at her girlfriend through her eyelashes._

_Who in their right mind could say no to that?_

"_Oh Quinn! Yes. Yes, a million times yes." Quinn jumped up and wrapped the other girl up in her arms and they shared a dramatic embrace and gentle kiss._

_20 minutes later when they were both getting their tattoos done, they smiled at each other. With eyes just that little more brighter._

x

Quinn looked up from her tattoo and was met with the curious faces of various family members and of course New Directions. It was time. She sucked in a shuddering breath. And began;

"None of you know this. Well apart from Rachels Dads. But me and Rachel... well, we've. Me and Rachel have been dating since Pucks party halfway through the first year of high school." There were a few shocked gasps throughout the room. Finn looked hurt. Brittany confused. Santana just looked like it was old news. Rachels Dads looked proud and Quinns Dad? Well he looked just about ready to murder her.

Shit. She didn't know if she could continue now. But looking over her left shoulder she was met with a large picture of her girlfriend. Her _fiancé_.With her famous light-up-the-world smile plastered on her beautiful face. Instantly comforted she continued.

"We had been dancing around something... confusing for the first half of the year and neither of us knew what it was, so we kind of fell into the pretence of enemies for a while. Then Rachel found me alone in Pucks kitchen and kissed the life out of me." She laughed lightly at the memory and somewhere in the room she heard Pucks 'hell yeah!' "She kissed me in love with her. And I haven't looked back since."

Quinn clasped her hand in front of her chest. Because god, it just _hurt_ so much.

"Rachel was the most wonderful person anyone could ever have met. I regret not being brave enough to tell the world about us when she was still here... but I'm kind of glad I didn't because, because. Well, it meant I got to keep her for myself. And I have an unlimited supply of memories to just... keep forever."

Her father had stormed out right around the time she said the word kiss. But she didn't care because Hiram and Leroy were right in front of her. With encouraging smiles and gentle eyes. They were her family now.

"She was loyal and never did wrong by anyone. She would be have done anything for anyone if they had asked. Hell, she was the one who held _me_ and comforted _me_ every night when we found out. When really it should have been the other way around..."

She wouldn't tell them now, but while she still could Rachel had comforted her in ways only a lover could. With naked embraces and lingering kisses all over her body.

God she missed her so much right now. This was exactly the situation where she needed her Rachel beside her silently holding her hand. Supporting her. Loving her. No matter what.

She would never have that again and... well, Quinns heart just broke all over again.

"I know that I will never fall out of love with Rachel Berry. Because I did love her. I _do _love her with my whole entire heart. I will cherish every memory with her. I'm not standing up here to share moments I had with her. Because those moments are mine. I'm not here for you. I'm here for her and now I just want to take the time to say thank you..." Quinn looked up into the sky. Where she hoped that Rachel was listening. "Rachel! Thank you for loving me and letting me love you. Thank you for every precious second that you gave me and thank you for being in my heart forever."

With that Quinn stepped off the podium. Ignoring all the crying people around her. And she just broke down and fucking cried her heart out.

Wrapped up in the arms of Hiram and Leroy she knew. She just _knew_ that Rachel would be the only person she would ever love. _Could_ ever love.

_10 years later..._

A shiny black car pulled up outside 'Little Cherubs Nursery,' and the second it had come to a complete stop a tiny brunette girl broke away from her teachers hand and ran up beside it. The door opened soon after and a slender leg stepped out, followed by a willowy blonde with a gentle smile.

Quinn Fabray bent down and scooped up her four year old daughter, who was waiting impatiently with arms outstretched.

"Hey Rachel, what did you learn at school today pumpkin?" She gave her a sloppy kiss on her cheek, "Did you do anything fun?"

"Well, we did some finger painting today and I painted you a picture and we..." As her daughter told her about her day Quinn took her round to the passenger seat and strapped her in. Even as she shut the door and walked around to the her side Rachel didn't take a breather. Quinn chuckled sadly at this.

She wished every day that _Rachel _could meet this little angel. She would have fallen in love with her the second they met.

Quinn never got married. She had tried new relationships sure, but the only thing she could do was compare them to Rachel Berry and that just wasn't fair on anyone. However, this didn't stop her having a child. One trip to the sperm bank and one insemination later she was pregnant, straight away and her little brunette princess came barrelling into her life. Giving her a reason to live again.

The second she had met the little girl, seen her brown eyes and brown curls, she couldn't _not_ name her after the most important person in her life. Because she knew her daughter would step into that role immediately.

Also, when her and Rachel were together they spoke often about having children. Rachels eyes had lit up whenever she thought about the possibility of a daughter. And Quinn figured, that even though she wasn't here any more, that at least one of her dreams could come true.

"... and then- and then, he _cried_. Mum, he _cried_ in front of everyone. But, but but I gave him a hug so he was OK." Her daughter finally took a breath, a very big one. Then continued. "Where are we going?"

"We are going to visit Grampa Leroy and Grampa Hiram today pumpkin." Rachels face broke out into a massive grin. She loved her granddads. Well what little girl wouldn't love two men that spoilt her rotten?

"Really? Will I get ice cream for dinner again?" Quinn frowned, damn those men. They promised they would stop doing that. She sighed anyway.

"They probably will baby." Taking in a shuddering breath she continued. "Today is a special day Rachel... do you remember that girl I told you about? Rachel Berry?"

"The one who sings like an angel?" Quinn was grateful that she had that CD. The thought of not having access to that voice makes her die inside a little.

"That's the one baby. Well, remember how she has gone to heaven?" The little girl nods enthusiastically. "Today is the anniversary of when she went away. So me and your grand dads like to spend some time remembering her. Is that OK with you pumpkin?" Again she receives a vigorous nod of the head.

Her little Rachel has always been incredibly intrigued by this angel that she never got to meet. Quinn still finds it difficult to talk about her sometimes, though. So Rachel is really excited about the possibility of finding out more.

"Can we listen to her voice again?" When Rachel had first passed away Artie and his tech-savy ways had managed to get the vocals from Rachels MySpace page onto a CD, and (thank God for Rachel Berry) all the recordings of their Glee club rehearsals.

Everyone may have been irritated by the diva's obsessive nature over their singing. But in the end they were all kind of grateful that she was anal enough to record _every_ meeting and actually _keep them. _It was kind of amazing actually.

"Of course we can baby." Quinn turned on the CD player, because yeah, it _was_ already in there. They both went silent as the voice of an angel filled the car.

Tears streamed silently down Quinns face. Because OK, she might be able to listen to that CD every day and have happy memories but today was different. Today it was _hard_. Today was the day Rachel left and the memory is so fresh in her mind that it just _hurts._

Her tears didn't stop for the whole journey. Every word felt like a stab to her heart.

Anyone who says you can't fall in love at seventeen is a fool. Quinn was living proof of that... she just wished Rachel was too.

"_... I will always love you."_ Yeah it was a cheesey song for a MySpace video, but it was _Rachel _and it was wonderful. It was true. Quinns gentle voice cracked as she sang along,

"I wi-will always love you..." A sob broke out and her _four year old_ daughter just silently held her hand over the gear stick. Rachel knew enough to not say anything. Then Quinn whispered the name of the woman she would always love, hoping that somewhere, somehow she could hear her. _"...Rachel Berry."_

-End.

**A/N: I like to think that was kind of bitter sweet and not _too_ angsty. But yeah, I don't know if I succeeded. (Sorry?)**

**This started off as a character study. I needed to kill off Rachel because she has always stolen the story in my other character studies. She kind of did in this one anyway ha! But I thought I might share this one with you guys! Let me know if that was a good idea.**


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